At least this time
I have seen a lot of flack about the Pope’s declaration that we should accept people regardless of their sexuality, but that the church can not bless same sex marriages. I see people saying they will leave the church and priests claiming to be Catholic stating they will bless same sex marriages anyway. Let me explain why I think the Pope is right on this one.
First and foremost, he is right in stating that we should accept people no matter what their lifestyle. Pushing people away, ridiculing them, or treating anyone unfairly is not the teachings of Christ. Thinking that “we” are better than “them” is the very thing that Jesus pointed out as flaws in the religious leaders of his time. The Church is right to push back against those who would discriminate against others, because we think their sin is worse than ours.
But the Church is also responsible for maintaining the high road of what sin is. That definition is designed to make life better both here, and in heaven. When we fail to reach the high standards that are set for us, which we know we will, we should still strive for those standards, not lower the bar. Because once we start lowering the bar, then it becomes a game of limbo. How low can you go.
The Church teaches that sexuality is to be reserved between a male and a female, in a blessed marriage, with reproduction being a primary emphasis. We know that our society has moved further and further away from that ideal, but that does not mean the Church should follow. One does not have to look far to see the problems that have come along with the increased exposure to sexuality at younger and younger ages. Misplaced sexuality has been an issue since biblical times, but we have moved into times where misplaced sexuality is the norm, not the exception. We have lowered the standard to the point where few things are taboo. I do not think we are better off because of it.
Let me state that the Church is not treating same sex couples differently. The church will not bless the unions of people living together outside of marriage. The Church will not bless people’s extramarital affairs. The Church will not bless marriage to multiple people. The Church will not bless pornography. The Church will not bless forced marriages. The Church will not bless divorces. To get married in the Church requires counseling, usually including a long personality test to help the Priest identify potential problem areas in a couple’s relationship that should be dealt with before making what the Church teaches is a lifelong commitment to each other. In addition, the couple must vow to accept children lovingly and raise those children in the Catholic faith.
It is one thing for you to ask the Church to accept you as a person. That is a reasonable request. It is quite another thing to tell the Church that it must redefine it’s beliefs in order to make you comfortable. In other words, by telling the Church that it must accept your beliefs, you are telling it that whatever society decides is right must be accepted. That is completely unreasonable.
But, I am sure you are thinking, Jesus accepted the prostitute, the tax collector, and the adulterer. That is correct. He accepted them as people. He almost always said something like “I do not judge you”. But that was followed up with “Go and sin no more”. People using Christ to push their human agendas always forget about that last part. Or they switch the words around. They teach it as “No more sin” instead of “sin no more”.
But what if the Church is wrong about this teaching? Is it possible that God approves of same sex marriages? Maybe it is even his plan to help lower our overpopulation. I will admit that God has not personally told me this is not his plan. But he also has not told me personally that it is his plan. So I have to agree with a Church that maintains the teachings passed down over the centuries. Yes, there are things which change. Many things have changed, especially over the last century. Many beliefs have changed over that time. But I stand with the church on not being ready to lower the standard to please a society that wants to see how low they can make it go.